Tribal Tale – Lambani Hand embroidery on ilkal cotton saree

Lambadi, Labanki or Gor-boli, also called Banjari, is a language spoken by the once nomadic Banjara people across India and it belongs to Indo-Aryan group of languages. They moved to South India from Rajasthan along with the Mughal army in the 16th century and settled in Bijapur district of Karnataka.

Lambani women traditionally make embroidered handicrafts from scrap by pulling out thread from old saris and sewing together patches of cloth, which was then embellished with embroidery, mirror work, cowrie shells, beads and coins.

Today, Lambani women have put their traditional embroidery craft on the international map by adapting to the changing demands of international fashion.

Lambani embroidery on ilkal cotton saree

saree length 6.3 mts including blouse piece